Severely burned puppy treated by the Arizona Humane Society finds forever home

PHOENIX — If you were to ask anyone from the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) who met Claire, a 9-month-old Australian Cattle Dog, back in July, they would tell you one thing: she shouldn’t be here.

“She is such a little miracle,” AHS Field Operations Supervisor Julie Bolchalk said in a media release Tuesday. “I can’t believe that she survived all she has.”

Claire was recently adopted after undergoing two months of intense treatment at the humane society’s Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital in Phoenix due to severe burns and heat stroke.

How did puppy suffer burns, heat stroke?

In July, AHS cruelty investigators responded to a Valley apartment complex after being alerted about a puppy who had been left outside, locked inside a crate, on a day where temperatures reached higher than 110 degrees.

“I think around 3 o’clock our dispatch called us and said they felt like this call was urgent,” Bolchalk said. “They said that a dog had been in direct sunlight in the kennel, no water since 7 a.m.”

When they got to the scene, Bolchalk and Lacey VanDeLaare, an emergency animal medical technician, found Claire being cared for in the complex’s leasing office.

“It’s definitely one of those critical situations,” VanDeLaare said.

The crew from the humane society immediately began treating the dog and noticed that her temperature was extremely elevated.

“Getting the temperature on her and seeing that it was 109 (degrees) … it’s definitely something that’s really distressing,” VanDeLaare said.

That’s because dogs normally start experiencing seizures and organ failure when their body temperatures hit 104 degrees.

Veterinarians use honey bandages, cold light laser therapy to treat burned puppy

Claire was soon taken to the humane society’s trauma hospital, where she was cooled down and stabilized using subcutaneous fluids.

However, a few days later, they noticed that she started developing wounds due to severe burns under her fur that put the puppy at risk of infection.

“When we got her, she had some, I don’t even know how to describe it other than bubbling under her fur,” Bolchalk said. “We were pretty shocked. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

AHS began treating Claire with antibiotics and pain medications, along with treatments such as honey bandages and cold light laser therapy (CLLT).

Honey bandages allow veterinarians to put medical-grade honey directly on an animal’s wounds. For CLLT, veterinarians are able to use a handheld light machine, no larger than a hair dryer, and place it directly over wounds.

“(CLLT) makes a substantial difference for the healing time and the comfort for these pets,” AHS Director of Veterinary Medicine Mindy Bemmerl said.

Soon, Claire was healthy enough to be placed in a foster home and now, she has been adopted.

“She by all means shouldn’t be here, so it’s amazing that she’s here,” VanDeLaare said.

What to do if you suspect an animal is being abused

AHS said it treats 25,000 sick, injured and abused pets like Claire each year.

The humane society added that Claire’s previous owner was arrested and that it has asked for felony charges to be submitted due to the severity of the puppy’s injuries.

If you suspect an animal is being abused, you can make an animal cruelty report on the AHS website.

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